Sharing between Mac and Windows 11

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Sharing between Mac and Windows 11

I share files between a Mac running OS 27 and a laptop on Windows 11. Everything was set up properly and worked, until recently when I try to copy files from the Mac to the PC. When I go to File Explorer on my PC and enter the Mac address (\\192.168.2.50), and then enter my login info, I get the following message:

I've rechecked all the file sharing settings on the Mac and the Windows 11 laptop, and everything seems fine, and I can still share files from the PC to the Mac. I feel like I might be missing something obvious. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Posted on Oct 24, 2026 2:21 PM

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Answer 1

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Dill27

Level 2

392 points

Oct 24, 2026 2:24 PM in response to Countster

This error happens when Windows gets stuck holding onto an old connection or login to your Mac in the background.

The easiest fix without touching advanced settings is to restart both your Mac and your PC. Turning both off and back on clears out those stuck background connections so Windows can start fresh.

If it still happens after restarting, open the Start menu on your PC, search for Credential Manager, and open it. Select Windows Credentials, look for any saved entries with your Mac IP address, remove them, and try connecting again in File Explorer.

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Answer 2

Countster Author

Level 1

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Oct 24, 2026 4:49 PM in response to Dill27

Thank you for the quick response. I went to the Credential Manager and was able to restore access to my Mac. Weirdly, though, I can now open some folders on the Mac, but not others like Documents, Desktop, and a few others. When I try to open those, I get this message:

I'm still stumped.

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